THE headteacher of a special needs primary school in Coventry has suddenly left her job.

Shirley Heath’s abrupt departure comes just weeks after a damning Ofsted report placed Three Spires Primary School into special measures.

Letters were sent to parents as children returned to the Coundon school after the Christmas break this week, saying Ms Heath would not be returning to her position.

Some parents are unhappy that the school has been left without a headteacher at the start of the term, while others demanded a fuller explanation why she had gone.

In the letter to parents, no reason was given for Ms Heath’s decision not to return.

The letter states that the school is working with the local authority to put temporary leadership in place before a permanent replacement is made.

The letter, from the school’s chair of governors, Jean Macdonald, reads: “I am writing to let you know that Shirley Heath has decided not to return to Three Spires School following the Christmas holiday.

“She has asked me to pass on her best wishes to you and expressed her regret that she had not had time to say goodbye personally.”

It goes on: “I am sure you will agree wih me and all the governors that Shirley’s commitment to Three Spires has been considerable and she has always had the best interests of the children and the school at heart.”

It comes after Three Spires was placed in special measures by government school inspectors who rated teaching at the Kingsbury Road site “inadequate”.

Their report, published in November, says “too many pupils do not learn to read, write, communicate or do mathematics well enough during their time at the school”.

It also criticises the headteacher “as too generous in the judgements she has made about the quality of teaching” and says: “This is not helping teachers to improve their practice so that pupils learn better.

“Governors have not been aware of this weakness.”

But inspectors did praise the school’s “warm and welcoming atmosphere”, its good relationship with parents and teachers, and pupils’ behaviour.

The special measures ruling means Three Spires, which caters for 73 three to 11-year-olds with moderate or severe learning difficulties, will receive frequent Ofsted inspections to monitor progress.

Among Ofsted’s recommendations for improvement were the need to accurately assess current levels of attainment and barriers to learning, develop an appropriate curriculum, and improve leadership and management “at all levels”.

The report also noted the local authority had not been aware of the school’s “serious weaknesses” but the deputy headteacher, who was appointed last term, had taken steps to put things right after she “rightly identified that assessment information is inaccurate and that staff’s understanding of assessment is weak”.

Both the school and Ms Heath declined to comment when approached by the Telegraph.